Lesson 1 : Think Like a Human

Without a doubt, the most important “rule” of marketing (and therefore copy) is this: know your prospect.

Fortunately, that’s an easy rule to master, because your prospects and customers are human. And lucky for you…you know what it’s like to be human. So most of the work has already been done.

Obviously you know that really effective marketing is going to require a little more effort. But for now, let’s just focus on making you sound human. You see, here’s the thing…on those rare occasions when most small business owners take the time to get into “marketing mode”, they tend to forget who they’re addressing. (I’m guilty of this, too.)

It’s like we all have an attorney buried deep inside of us. That attorney is constantly screaming to get out. And when we start writing for business or marketing purposes, that attorney is magically released.

Suddenly, we’re no longer friendly business owners (with great products and services) trying to connect with our customers and prospects. We’re articulate, intelligent, high-powered individuals determined to prove our point.

I have the greatest respect for attorneys, but I wouldn’t want to spend an afternoon listening to one (unless, of course, they also know how to talk to normal folks.)

Before I went to college, I had one goal: don’t be the same person I was in high school. Not that high school was bad. It was great. I had some very dear friends. But as hard as I tried, I didn’t connect with people very well and missed out on some fun things because of it.

My first week at college, the girl in the dorm room next to me said, “You’re very articulate.”

I’d been in debate, and speaking well was always highly valued in my family. So I didn’t say things like “um”, “like”, “you know” and other filler words. However, I became very self-conscious when this girl said something.

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

“Well, no. But it’s, like, a little intimidating. You know what I mean?”

After that, I toned down my language skills. And it worked. I made more friends and found myself in the middle of events I’d have been left out of before.

Now, I’m not expecting you to write like a teenage girl just so you can fit in. This isn’t a popularity contest. I just want your writing to sound like a real conversation and not like you stepped out of a courtroom.

Let me give you examples of this problem in a written format:

Recently, I was approached by an author who had completed a manuscript. She was looking for someone to edit her work and help her “seriously impress” publishers. Because (as she mentioned to me) her book was definitely good enough to be published.

In reality…

Although I sympathized with the hours…and hours…and hours this woman had put into her work, I had to break the bad news: this book was not ready for publication. The author had great characterization, interesting plots and strong dialog. But the mistakes I spotted in the manuscript were the same mistakes that plague writers, marketers and business owners alike.

She tried too hard to be impressive, clever, and intriguing!

And it distracted her audience. In other words, she forgot to be real. She forgot to be human and hoped instead to impress her readers with big words and long sentences.

The first paragraph of her book started something like this:

The elevated gentleman sauntered transversely through the ballroom with an arrogant gait. His vacillation about which lady to converse with caused him to pause and peruse the room – foppishly seeking the most salient female. The glances in his direction he construed as jealousy, pining or approbation as befitting those whose eyes he engaged. That those in attendance found his self-consequence exasperating he would never have conjectured. So he selected an ornate armchair made of coppice and silk and took his location adjacent to the most picturesque debutante within the vicinity.

Remember, the prospective reader for this piece is…you guessed it…a human. But nearly any human who reads that passage will think, “Huh?”

A few pages in, the writer lost herself in her story, stopped trying so hard, and managed to produce some great work. But the first pages of a book are the “make it or break it” pages. That is where she most needed to connect with her reader.

Too many of us have this idea that writing/marketing needs to sound and look impressive.

Look at the websites of major corporations and you’ll see what I’m talking about. A lot of corporate-speak about how amazing the business is. They fill up webpage after webpage with “stuff” and leave their audience bored. And a bored audience isn’t going to stick around.

Here are some short snippets I found on a few websites:

From a vacuum supplier: [Our company] installs and services built-in systems statewide, throughout Arizona. We service and repair any existing systems, serve as a warranty station for the products we sell, and sell and service attachments and replacement parts for all makes and manufacturers. We maintain an extensive inventory of parts, accessories and supplies, including the finest power units and a complete line of high-quality installation components. [Our company] also sells and services portable vacuums, floor care appliances and sewing machines.

A landscaping company: [Our company] has been providing outstanding customized service to our clients for over 30 years. This has earned us the reputation of one of Northern California’s premier residential and commercial landscape companies. As a full-service landscape company, we provide a one-stop shop for all areas of landscaping, including design, maintenance, construction, irrigation, stone walls, outdoor rooms, water features and lighting for residential and commercial clients. As each of our clients has different needs, all of our designs and concepts are customized to satisfy each customer in a unique way.

My question: who is taking the time to read this stuff? No one. And if you think this is bad, you should see some of the postcards, emails, letters and Internet advertising I’ve come across lately.

Welcome to the content war.